EAST BRUNSWICK – Current Board President Vicki Becker, along with board members Barbara Reiss and Jefferey Winston, look to maintain their seats, while newcomer Denise Medford seeks to become the latest member of East Brunswick’s Board of Education.
Vicki Becker has been a resident of East Brunswick for 35 years and her two sons have gone through the school district of East Brunswick. She currently works as a director of Administrative Services.
She previously served on the Recreation and Parks Advisory Board and for 21 years has served on East Brunswick’s Board of Education. For the last three years, she has served as the board president.
Before joining the board, Becker worked as the PTA president for the Lawrence Brook Elementary School in East Brunswick. Her positive experience inspired her to run for the school board in 2000. After being elected, she credits her transparency, academic partnerships, and leadership abilities as the primary reasons for her success.
“Working alongside the staff at Lawrence Brook school as the PTA president there inspired me to become more involved with the district and led to my decision to run for the board in 2000. I have served on every board committee and have been chairperson of most of them. … I served on the board when we facilitated full-day kindergarten, made the decision to televise board meetings so there would be more transparency with the public, built and/or reconstructed 5 schools, and partnered with Middlesex County Community College to further enhance the course offerings for our high school students. … My leadership abilities are demonstrated by my being voted in as president of the board by my peers these last three years and as vice president for years before that,” Becker said.
For Becker, the recent school year came with unprecedented challenges. From virtual learning to health risks, educators and students faced uncertainties that still exist today. If re-elected, Becker said she plans on using her experience to remedy the academic, social, and financial disruption caused by the pandemic.
“So many issues but the first one that comes to mind is guiding our district as we return to in-person learning. I never could have imagined leading our board through a pandemic. What an experience this has been. … And our work is far from done. We have enormous challenges in front of us as we emerge from this pandemic that will need experienced people such as myself to provide the necessary guidance and make crucial decisions. … With experience comes the ability to help oversee the district, especially in terms of the annual budget. … Fiscal responsibility is not just a once-a-year task when we approve the budget, but a pledge every day to scrutinize and question every dollar that we spend,” Becker said.
The “new normal” is a reality that Becker believes students must be prepared for. Although the task is difficult, she believes that through high standards, constant support, and a world-class curriculum, students of East Brunswick will not only succeed, but thrive.
“This school district isn’t easy. Achieving excellence is one thing – maintaining it and consistently raising the bar requires constant work and diligence. We are preparing our children for a 21st century education and to live in a global economy and community which has been dramatically changed because of the pandemic. We need to ensure they have the emotional, social and academic tools they will need. We need to constantly refine and enhance our curriculum with an eye towards the role technology plays in the classroom,” Becker said.
Becker considers the opportunity to serve her community as a privilege, but also as a major responsibility. For her, the position is important because it directly impacts the children of East Brunswick.
“Plain and simple – to be a board member, you have to love doing this. You must want to volunteer with eight other residents as a consensus seeking group and leave your personal agendas home and do what’s best for the kids. This phrase has become a cliché, but as with most cliches, there is an underlying truth. I continue to love to do this and to do what’s best for the kids and I would consider myself privileged to continue to serve in this capacity,” Becker said.
Denise Medford has lived in East Brunswick for 20 years. After the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001, she decided to move from Queens, New York, to East Brunswick to provide more opportunities for her son. She explained this life-changing decision as a necessary step in securing her son’s future.
“It was a primary concern for me as a single parent to know that I could trust the school system my child was enrolled in to not only offer a better education overall, but to better prepare him for a successful future. I took a risk moving from a job and home that I knew for a better life in East Brunswick. As the years have passed, I have not questioned that decision. I love living here and know that this community is similar to the things that I loved about living in Queens: diversity, culture and opportunity for growth,” Medford said.
Medford describes building her professional career “from the ground up.” She worked at a global insurance company and developed interpersonal and communication skills that enabled her to thrive in different roles and with different people.
“This was a tremendous undertaking that tasked me with not only managing a sales region for optimizing time and effort, but also my support staff, resources and budget. This utilized my ability to effectively communicate, collaborate and look for better ways to increase results in a designated amount of time and within financial constraints. All this would have been for naught without fulfilling the primary purpose; the customer,” Medford said.
For Medford, these life experiences and practical skills are transferable to government and politics, where people expect results, accountability and responsibility.
“I feel that these qualities of being able to communicate, collaborate and be charitable will lend me to be an asset to the Board of Education. I know that my being a new face can be cause for concern to some, but I am open to listening and learning from all avenues, the existing board, teachers, staff and of course, our parents and students. I believe community dialogue is something we need to have more of as our families are suffering the effects of this extended time out of school. It is important that we address the social-emotional issues that our teachers and students are facing as they return to normalcy. This effect is not just in school, but outside as well,” Medford said.
In serving the community, Medford has been involved with multiple charities and organizations.
“I have participated and organized dozens of charity events, from food and coat drives to PTA family fitness nights, to fundraisers for breast and brain cancer, to donation drives for veterans and active military. … This gives me immense gratification to serve the community,” she said.
Overall, she said she believes her creative approach to management and open communication are crucial in building relationships and overcoming obstacles.
“We must be open minded, listen and apply. Adaptability is important. We cannot approach new issues with old thinking. … We are entrusted to listen to our families and address the concerns they have, as well as a fiduciary responsibility to the community. … I don’t think it will be an easy task, but I’m up to rolling up my sleeves and working with the current board members. I’m excited to learn from them and lend my experience and creativity to approach our new normal in new ways,” Medford said.
Barbara Reiss has been a resident of East Brunswick for 19 years with her husband, Larry. She has two children that attend East Brunswick High School.
She holds a master’s degree in Education from New York University and has a K-6 teaching license. She currently serves as a religious schoolteacher in New Brunswick but has worked in the public school system as well. In addition, she previously worked as a newspaper reporter.
Reiss has served on East Brunswick’s Board of Education since 2016. She said her approach to service is centered around research, transparency and consistency.
“As a school board member, I strive to be balanced and open-minded when considering proposals. I value research and look to hear from a variety of voices that represent all sides of a situation. I will continue to work diligently and cooperatively with my fellow board members to build upon past successes and discover new learning opportunities,” Reiss said.
Reiss’s motivation to educate can be attributed to her parents, who in 1950 emigrated from Argentina to America for better opportunities.
“My father emigrated from Argentina in the 1950s and learned to speak English at night school. He worked long hours in an electrical supply warehouse for many years. Unfortunately, earlier this year, my father passed away from COVID. … My mom also worked a second job as a community college teacher. They valued hard work and education. It is that strong belief that continues to motivate me to work towards helping to ensure that all students have the opportunity to receive a high-quality public school education in East Brunswick,” Reiss said.
Volunteerism, in addition to education, also played a major role in Reiss’s time as a board member and resident of East Brunswick. She has served on East Brunswick’s Human Relations Council, the Community Programs Advisory Committee, the PTA, and as a producer/reporter for East Brunswick TV. She also established MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support) to help new mothers traverse the challenges of parenthood.
“I strongly believe in the power of volunteerism to make positive change in the community. … I have volunteered as a member of the East Brunswick Board of Education since 2016. I have served on a variety of school board committees, including as the chair of the Special Services, Technology and Policy committees. I currently serve as chair of the Community Programs Committee,” Reiss said.
Ultimately, Reiss’s biggest priority is cultivating an environment where students feel safe and nurtured, especially since the pandemic. As the former chair of multiple school-related committees, Reiss said she is determined to support teachers and students.
“My No. 1 priority as a school board member is to support our district in its efforts to provide our students with a safe and nurturing environment in which to learn. … With the ever-changing nature of COVID-19, it is important for our district to be ready to pivot so we may continue to provide our students, teachers, and staff a safe and healthy learning environment. … I strongly supported the efforts of our superintendent and Student Services Department to meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of our students and teachers during this extremely stressful time,” Reiss said.
“As a former chair and current member of the school board’s technology committee, I am proud to be a part of [Superintendent] Dr. [Victor] Valeski’s and the board’s ongoing efforts to support our teachers with a strong technology infrastructure. … I hope to continue to be a part of the East Brunswick educational system that provides our children the access to the tools they need to live successful and rewarding professional lives,” Reiss said.
Jeffrey Winston could not be reached for comment by press time.
Election Day is Nov. 2.
